Expert Interviews

Kris Bannon, DVM, FAVD, DAVDC, veterinary dentist at Veterinary Dentistry & Oral Surgery of New Mexico, LLC., explains how anesthetized dental care is important for a pet's wellness package.

Marvin Meinders, DVM, MPVM, veterinary epidemiologist, talks about the importance of creating a "life plan."

Panelists B. Duncan X. Lascelles, BVSc, PhD, DACVS, and Margaret Gruen, DVM, MVPH, PhD, DACVB, provide insight on areas of veterinary pain management research that translate well to human research, and suggest future directions in this area of study.

Mike Dicks, PhD, director of veterinary economics for the American Veterinary Medical Association, talks about how the AVMA economics division is trying to develop a business curriculum for the entire veterinary profession.

Those reports aren't going to complete themselves. Ehh, just stay a few extra hours.

Jen Brandt, PhD, LISW-S, assistant director of veterinary student affairs at Ohio State University College of Veterinary Medicine, explains the connection between social work and veterinary medicine.

Marie Holowaychuk, DVM, DACVECC, critical care specialist and veterinary wellness advocate for Critical Care Vet Consulting, explains the eight dimensions of wellbeing and how they relate to self-care.

Panelists B. Duncan X. Lascelles, BVSc, PhD, DACVS; Sheilah Robertson, BVMS, PhD, DACVAA, DACAW; Mark Epstein, DVM, DABVP, CVPP; and Margaret Gruen, DVM, MVPH, PhD, DACVB, share their views on other areas of research in pain management in small animals, including cannabis and nutraceuticals.

Tracy Dowdy, CVPM, managing director of MRG Consulting and founder of the Relationship Centered Practice Academy, explains one potential downfall of a veterinary practice adopting the relationship-centered practice framework.

Margaret Gruen, DVM, MVPH, PhD, DACVB, researcher at Duke University's Canine Cognition Center and adjunct professor at North Carolina State University, discusses two research projects she conducted that looked at pet owners and their interest in participating in clinical trials.

Tony Bartels, DVM, MBA, consultant for the Veterinary Information Network, explains the reasonable amount of time it takes to pay back a veterinary education.

Wendy Hauser, DVM, assistant vice president of veterinary relations for Crum + Forster Pet Insurance Group, says finding ways to help clients say yes to pet health insurance is critical.

Julie Shaw, RVT, VTS (Behavior), owner and director of Stepping Stone Animal Training, LLC. In Lafayette, Indiana, explains the role of each member of a mental health care team for pets.

Proper sedation can give your veterinary patients stories the peaceful ending your clients and team desire.

Matt Brunke, DVM, CCRP, CVPP, CVA, staff veterinarian at Veterinary Orthopedic & Sports Medicine Group, talks about how the use of laser therapy is expanding in general veterinary practice.

Elizabeth B. Strand, PhD, LCSW, director of veterinary social work at the University of Tennessee College of Veterinary Medicine College of Social Work, expresses three things she wants veterinarians to grasp about wellness and their profession.

Oliver Knesl, BSc, BSc (Hons), MSc, BVSc, MRCVS, director of major accounts for veterinary professional services in the US Companion Animal Division for Zoetis, explains who certifies emotional support animals.

Dani McVety, DVM, co-founder of Lap of Love Veterinary Hospice, talks about her experience with communication styles throughout her veterinary career.

Amanda Landis-Hanna, DVM, senior manager of veterinary outreach for PetSmart Charities, talks about a session she attended at AVMA 2017 which discussed how veterinarians can be more empathetic to anxious patients.

Jason Sweitzer, RVT, DVM, chief financial officer and board member of Not One More Vet, Inc., explains some of the mental health warning signs you may notice in your coworkers.

Steven Marks, BVSc, MS, MRCVS, DACVIM, associate dean at North Carolina State College of Veterinary Medicine, says the challenge for veterinary colleges and teaching hospitals is finding the balance between client services, patient care and taking the time to teach new veterinarians.

Panelists B. Duncan X. Lascelles, BVSc, PhD, DACVS; Margaret Gruen, DVM, MVPH, PhD, DACVB; Mark Epstein, DVM, DABVP, CVPP; and Sheilah Robertson, BVMS, PhD, DACVAA, DACAW, review the most promising new therapies for treating pain in companion animals, including monoclonal antibodies.

Tracy Dowdy, CVPM, managing director of MRG Consulting and founder of the Relationship Centered Practice Academy, talks about the role of the pet traffic controller.

Bryan Torres, DVM, assistant professor of small animal orthopedic surgery and director of the Motion Analysis Laboratory at the University of Missouri, describes the differences in treating household dogs with osteoarthritis versus working dogs with osteoarthritis.

Mark Epstein, DVM, DABVP (Canine/Feline), CVPP, medical director of TotalBond Veterinary Hospitals and Carolinas Animal Pain Management in Gastonia, North Carolina, says the most important tool in the non-pharmacological toolbox is weight optimization.

Panelists B. Duncan X. Lascelles, BVSc, PhD, DACVS; Margaret Gruen, DVM, MVPH, PhD, DACVB; Bryan T. Torres, DVM, PhD, DACVS-SA, DACVSMR; and Sheilah Robertson, BVMS, PhD, DACVAA, DACAW, discuss the challenges in assessing pain in companion animals as well as highlight available assessment tools.

Betsy Charles, DVM, MA, executive director of the Veterinary Leadership Institute, talks about the challenge of perfectionism in veterinary medicine.

Give your veterinary clients an outlet to talk about how much they love their fur babies, and they just might talk about how much they love you someday.